Athletics News

Bearcat Club Events

Willamette Men's Cross Country Wins NWC Championship

The Willamette men's cross country team won the 2009 Northwest Conference championship during action at the NWC Meet on Saturday, Oct. 31 at McIver Park. It was the eighth NWC title in the last nine years for the Bearcat men's team. The Bearcat women finishes fifth in the team standings.

Willamette achieved the men's title with a score of 32 on the strength of a 2-3-4-8-15 finish. The Bearcats won by 39 points, with Whitworth claiming second place with a score of 71. Linfield was third at 89 and Whitman was fourth at 111.

Bearcat Football Moves to #22 in AFCA Coaches Poll

Willamette is 6-2 Overall, 3-1 in the NWC

Willamette moved to #22 in an NCAA Division III Poll sponsored by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and released on Monday, Oct. 26.

Willamette was ranked #14 a week ago, but lost to arch rival Linfield College, ranked #8, 30-27, at McCulloch Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 24. Linfield advanced one spot to #7 in this week's poll.

Mount Union College (Ohio), 7-0, received 39 of 40 first place votes and 997 points to retain the #1 ranking. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 7-0, received the remaining first place vote and 961 points the #2 position in the poll.

Wesley College (Del.), 7-0, moved up one spot to #3 with 905 points, after the previous #3, Wheaton College (Illinois), lost to North Central College (Illinois), 27-7. North Central, 6-1, ranked #12 last week, jumped to #9 in this week's poll, while Wheaton, 6-1, fell to #14.

At #4 this week with 854 points, is St. John's University (Minn.), 8-0, up one spot from a week ago. Central College (Iowa), 8-0, also advanced one position to #5 with 802 points. Washington and Jefferson College (Pa.) climbed one spot in the poll to #6 with 777 points. Linfield at #7 received 764 points.

Willamette does not play this coming weekend, but the Bearcats will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 7, when they travel to Tacoma, Wash., to take on the University of Puget Sound. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (PST).

The Bearcats will conclude the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 14 at Menlo College in Atherton, Calif. Game time against Menlo is slated for 12 p.m. (PST).